LeBron James shares heartfelt hug with Savannah James after Lakers' early playoff exit
LeBron James and the LA Lakers suffered a first-round playoff exit after falling 4-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After Game 5, James shared a heartfelt hug and kiss with his wife, Savannah, and their son Bronny.
ESPN's Arash Markazi shared a clip of Savannah in the Lakers' tunnel, waiting for her husband and eldest son following the team's 103-96 loss on Wednesday.
The father and son duo shared a hug after the buzzer sounded as the Timberwolves qualified for the second round. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers rebuild their roster, especially considering their lack of big men who could have helped stop Rudy Gobert in Game 5.
LeBron James scores 22 in Game 5 loss
In a must-win Game 5, LeBron James had a rough night with just 22 points on 9-for-21 shooting. James wore a sleeve on his left leg, indicating he could have been playing through an injury. He bumped into Donte DiVincenzo early in the fourth quarter, which left him shaken up. James scored just two points in the final period.
The game was close until Julius Randle made some clutch shots and Mike Conley iced the game with a corner 3-pointer.
Luka Doncic had 28 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, but he was also slowed by a back injury. Rui Hachimura hit five 3-point shots and finished with 23 points. However, their efforts weren't enough to keep the season alive.
LeBron James has player option for next season
The LA Lakers will need to overhaul their roster this offseason. They failed to surround Luka Doncic with the right players at the trade deadline. They needed an athletic big man and plenty of shooting for Doncic to be effective.
It also puts LeBron James' future in question. He has a player option worth $52,627,153 for next season. He could opt out and become a free agent, though leaving Los Angeles might be hard to do from a business standpoint.
When asked about his future, James told reporters that he had no answer.